Category: Uncategorized

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Feast of St. Bonaventure

This afternoon I had agreed to drive down to St. Bonaventure University and help a Franciscan friend with a computer I had donated to him. I had configured this Dell Inspiron equipped with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic with Star Office. Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM is a very bright man and a wonderful person, but computers are a little scary for him. I had moved his files to this new machine about three months ago, but he continued to have problems editing his previous Microsoft Word files. It turned out that Microsoft Word Viewer which had come with the computer had been set as the default application for opening word processing documents. I had originally setup the computer to use Star Office Writer as the default. Somehow that changed. I was able to solve his problem rather quickly and to help him set up an Amazon Simple Storage account so that he could work both at the University and at his home at Mt. Irenaeus.

Working together we got the Amazon S3 account setup. I also downloaded and configured Jungledisk which is a great program. He needs a bit more training but this is a great way to work with the same group of files on two separate computers. Toward the end of our time together Fr. Bob mentioned that he had to leave soon for Mass. I asked where the Mass was and he said in the University Chapel. I had forgotten that today was the Feast of St. Bonaventure and since the University is celebrating its sesqui-centennial this is more special than other years.

After a short walk from University Ministries we arrived at the Chapel and it was nearly full of Franciscan friars, nuns, a lovely choir and some townspeople like me. Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the lovely bell choir that invited us at the beginning of the worship. Gratitude to both Fr. Bob and the Franciscan Friars filled my heart as I looked and listened. This was truly something I hadn’t dreamed of earlier in the day. The Mass was lovely but I really enjoyed the choir and musicians. Franciscans are joyful and this is just what I needed today.

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Good news

My nephew Tom has been named Education Petty Officer for his division at Navy Boot Camp. I’ve been praying for his success and safety everyday and this is good news indeed. In 1972 I was given the same assignment when I too was at Boot Camp. This is one of the coincidences of life that’s difficult to explain. I wonder what set Tom apart in his division commander’s eye.  He’s tall, very bright and must have a good military bearing. He must command respect and equally important be able to get the message across to other recruits who need help learning their lessons.

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Love is the fulfilment of the law

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

– Romans 12:8-10

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Individual augmentee

I have not been moved to write lately. I’ve been very busy but quiet. I’m trying to enjoy each day as iit comes along. I think of my nephew often and I pray that all is going well for him at boot camp. Recently I learned of a government program that moves members of the Navy to support army units in Afghanistan and Iraq. With no draft and declining enlistments and this prolonged war the government is moving sailors into combat support roles. Most of American people don’t know about this and probably many of the parents of U. S. Navy recruits wouldn’t be too happy to find out that their son or daughter might have signed up for a hitch in the Army. It’s called the individual augmentee assignment.

This program has me concerned about my nephew’s future once he leaves boot camp. As a former hospital corpsman, service with the Fleet Marines was always a possibility. Seabees too often are in forward areas of combat but for the most part the Navy was far off shore and away from danger. I’ve been careful not to mention this to my mother or his parents but it is a concern. I had hoped that the war would wind down as we got closer to the election, but now the war drums are increasing again. I pray often for the safety of our men and women in uniform. I hope you will too.

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Lamb of God

Today I took some time apart, an afternoon away from it all and spent quiet time in the sanctuary of Abbey of the Genesee. It had been over a month since my last visit and I was thirsty to hear the stillness of the Abbey chapel. This past week I started reading a new book that I picked up at St. Francis Springs Prayer Center. It’s Richard Rohr’s latest, “Things Hidden, Scripture as Spirituality.” It’s been awhile since I’ve read any book. Richard’s books have all been great reads. Tonight following my return I mowed the lawn, drove to the Olean Airport, took a swim and then ate a Monk’s Brownie. While eating the brownie I decided to read the RSS feed from Jim Wallis’ “God’s Politics,” a blog that I’ve been looking at lately. One of the stories led me to a story about Jesus for President and this litany.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Akc_7O9A9-I]

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Presidential qualities

Wes Clark is an American hero and so is John McCain. Wes Clark served in Vietnam and so did John. George Bush did not serve in Vietnam and may not have fulfilled his commitment to the Alabama National Guard. Dick Cheney got five deferments in the middle of the Vietnam War. Ulysses Simpson Grant was the only United States general who could consistently kick Robert E. Lee’s butt during the American Civil War and he was also one of the worst presidents of the United States.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both owned African slaves. Washington is often considered the father of our country and Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence. Neither was a saint.  They were average people. Our president today is an average guy who really didn’t qualify to be president based on his resume. He has been president for nearly eight years now and regardless of how you feel about the guy and the job he’s done you cannot diminish his place in the pantheon of  presidents.

I’ve mentioned before that David Rees tickles my “funny bone” and his column in yesterday’s Huffington Post was very amusing to me. He’s put the whole presidential qualification scrap in a very humorous wrapper.

Riding on a rollercoaster and flying out of your seat but then landing on a waterslide and sliding down to into the water and almost drowning but then being rescued by an Elvis impersonator: QUALIFIES YOU TO BE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.–David Rees.

Read more here.

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In memoriam

I learned early this morning from a colleague that George Carlin had died. I was surprised and saddened and throughout the day I thought of George and the impact he had on me, on our culture and how we look at language. He was a gifted comic and one who like other great comics will not easily be replaced. His famous, “Seven words you can’t ever say on television,” is perhaps his signature. I didn’t realize until reading earlier today that the U.S. Supreme Court got into the fray on that one.  How typically American that is. We censor Carlin’s use of profanity, but our airwaves are filled with replays of bombing runs, combat footage and endless recitations about all our wars. George’s genius was bringing those hypocrisies to light.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67k9eEw9AY]

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Silence

Lately my thoughts have been more and more silence. I’ve had little to write about nor little to share. I’ve been writing about what I’m doing with open source software, but have had very little that I cared to share about on this writing space. The election is boring. I have little hope that the election will bring any real change no matter who is elected. It’s all about corporations these days and not about the will of the people if indeed it ever was.  I’ll be traveling on Friday to St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in North Carolina for a Holy Name Province Peace and Justice Retreat.

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Good luck and Godspeed

Tomorrow my nephew enters boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. He will be the third generation in our family to “go Navy.” I called him tonight to wish him well in his new career. I was speaking to a retired Navy recruiter yesterday and that man said that today’s recruits don’t face the hazing that was part of my experience in the early 1970’s, but that my nephew will face rigor nonetheless. I hope that you will join me in praying for Tom as he embarks on this journey. All recruits face a transition from civilian to military life. They leave behind the familiar surroundings of home with its comfort and familiarity. They make the transition to military life. They learn to become part of a team. It’s the end of individuality in a culture that stresses just that.

I remember my own transition. I joined the Navy because that’s how my Dad had answered the call during World War II. Like Dad, I went to Boot Camp at Great Lakes. Those first days were an awakening. I met a lot of great young men and formed relationships that I still remember nearly thirty-six years later.  I had a really great company commander. He was Chief William W. Boyd. Chief Boyd was near the end of his Navy career when he took us through boot camp. We loved him and visited him after we got out of boot camp. I hope Tom does as well.

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Meaningless

A friend wrote me about Merton’s quote about illusion and briefly stated that only noise could be measured and that because silence could not be measured it must be the illusion. I think silence can be measured. Have you ever had a disagreement with your spouse? How long before you spoke again? There is silence and it can be measured. Merton’s quote got me to thinking of another quote taken from the First book of Ecclesiastes which is very instructive and forces me to really look at what is important.

Everything is Meaningless

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:”Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?

Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.

All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.

There is no remembrance of men of old,
and even those who are yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow.